Parts of it will be used in upcoming production models.
The Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven is a striking homage to the legendary C 111, but the chances of it ever hitting the road are slim to none. It's simply too wild, and Mercedes-Benz is hardly known for coloring outside the lines when it comes to car development. Sure, it made the Mercedes-AMG One, which is arguably as extreme as hypercars get, but even the CEO admitted that it was a drunken mistake. But One-Eleven has something that will significantly impact the automotive industry.
Among the many things Mercedes is showcasing at the Design No.5 show (NFTs, designer jackets, luggage, augmented reality), the most significant piece of tech is an unassuming electric motor perched on an orange box. It's Yasa's new high-performance axial-flux motor.
“The future generation of Yasa axial-flux motors will be produced at the Mercedes-Benz Berlin-Marienfelde plant. The motors manufactured there will be at the heart of the forthcoming powertrain for the performance segment,” Mercedes-Benz stated in a press release.
Why should you care? Well, 99% of current electric vehicles are equipped with radial-flux motors. As you can see in the comparison images below, the Yasa unit is three times smaller and weighs three times less. Still, one of these slim motors produces 480 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque – 145 hp and 148 lb-ft more than the tiny Koenigsegg Quark e-motor.
“In an axial-flux motor, the electromagnetic flow runs parallel to the motor's rotational axis, which is highly efficient. In a radial-flux engine, the flow runs perpendicular to the rotational axis,” said Tim Woolmer, Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Yasa. “Compared to radial-flux motors, they have considerably higher and more enduring power reserves, which delivers a whole new level of performance.”
Its work is so impressive that Mercedes-Benz bought the entire company in July 2021.
Apart from the apparent weight benefits, which will be improved by lighter and more efficient battery technology developed by Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrain, this slim electric motor has many advantages.
This tiny electric motor is small enough to be housed within the car's wheel. That leaves even more room within the chassis for passengers and luggage or an additional battery pack for even more range. But the most significant benefit is how these motors can be incorporated into the entire Mercedes-Benz range once it goes fully electric and finally removes the silly EQ designation.
Once each wheel has a dedicated motor, Mercedes can run several drivetrain options without breaking the bank. You can have front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, and all-wheel drive without a mechanical connection. The chosen setup will obviously depend on the vehicle.
Two easy examples are the upcoming CLA and GLC EVs. Mercedes can restrict the power of the axial-flux motors slightly because a FWD (or RWD, for that matter) compact car doesn't need 960 hp and 1,180 lb-ft of torque for a two-motor car. Or who knows? We are talking about a company that sells a 577-hp brick.
Speaking of that brick, we know the all-electric G-Class is coming, and while many may hate the idea of an electric off-roader, there are many benefits. Imagine dune bashing in a car with over 1,000 hp, available from 1 rpm. All four wheels will be able to act independently, so if you are stuck in an axle twister, a few lines of code will tell the two wheels with the power to put it all down. We can only imagine what fun Merc's engineers must be having developing a new series of driving modes for this advanced drivetrain.
But it's not the standard motors we're most excited about. You can have a car with up to 1,920 hp and 2,360 lb-ft of torque with a motor at each corner. That's more power than a Rimac Nevera, which recently shattered almost every acceleration record.
The fun continues beyond there, too. Electric vehicles often use cheat devices like rear-wheel steering to make heavy cars feel more nimble. An independently driven wheel at every corner gives Mercedes the tools to design a next-generation torque vectoring system. Most of these systems are brake-based, but imagine the possibilities if you can use both regenerative braking and power to achieve previously unheard-of cornering forces.
Aim the nose of the car at a tight left-hander. The regenerative braking on the front left wheel will kick in first, joined a split second later by the left rear wheel. This will help the car turn in harder. We've seen this before. But what if the right side of the vehicle can feed power to the wheels, already ramping up the acceleration until the car is straight and all four wheels can unleash their full fury? The potential electric successor to the Mercedes-AMG One is going to be insane.
We know these motors are coming, and we can't wait to see the technology Merc builds around all the potential.
Keyword: Mercedes Vision One-Eleven's E-Motors Are Bigger News Than You Think